Chemicals in cocoa can boost memory abilities in older people, a new study suggests. US researchers found flavanols – plant chemicals that are abundant in cocoa beans – improved performance in a list-learning task for people aged between 50 and 75. Flavanols belong to a group of compounds called polyphenols, which are also abundant in red wine, tea, olive oil, onions, leeks, broccoli and blueberries. Flavanols are'bioactive food constituents' that protect against cognitive ageing, enhance cognitive performance and boost blood flow to the brain, studies suggest. Researchers advise caution, however, as chocolate'is a treat and not health food' and is generally low in flavanols.

Drinking cocoa can increase your mental agility thanks to the presence of flavanols – chemicals that are abundant in cocoa beans. UK and US researchers found healthy adults performed better on difficult cognitive tasks if the participants had consumed a cocoa drink containing high levels of flavanols. After drinking flavanol-rich cocoa, participants produced a faster and greater increase in blood oxygenation in the frontal cortex – a brain region that plays a key role in cognition and decision-making – that helped them complete these tasks. Flavanols are antioxidants and are abundant in tea, red wine, blueberries, apples, pears, cherries, and peanuts, as well as in the seeds of the cacao tree – cocoa beans. By enriching supermarket cocoa with flavanols, food producers could help us increase the brain-boosting plant nutrient in our diet.

Regular dietary intake of cocoa and chocolate could improve general cognition, attention, processing speed, and working memory, a new study found. In a recent review published in Frontiers in Nutrition, Italian researchers studied the effect of cocoa flavanols on the brain and the impact its additional consumption has on the body. The research found participants showed enhancements in working memory performance and improved visual information processing after eating cocoa flavanols -- a class of natural compounds that has neuroprotective effects. The study also found that women who consumed cocoa after a night of total sleep deprivation actually counteracted the cognitive impairment a night without sleep results in. The study, which was conducted on young and healthy adults, investigated the effects of relatively long-term consumption of cocoa flavanols -- ranging from 5 days up to 3 months -- in elderly individuals.